$100,000 gift will expand student scholarships
MERCED, CA— As a UC alumna and former Los
Banos High School teacher, Beverlee Sieghold Antoine knows the
importance of a quality education first-hand. Antoine has chosen to
leave a legacy at the University of California, Merced with a
donation of $100,000 to establish the Beverlee Sieghold Antoine
Scholarship Endowment Fund.
“I chose to establish a scholarship at UC Merced that will
benefit the young men and women of the San Joaquin Valley,” Antoine
said. “It is an honor for me to be a part of this exciting new campus.”
Antoine, who was born and raised in Berkeley, graduated from
high school at the age of 15 and attended college with a $1,000
gift from her father supplemented by a part-time job at the campus
book store. Antoine graduated from UC Berkeley with a teaching
credential in 1935 and began her career teaching underprivileged
adults how to read and write.
She later moved to Los Banos and taught high school English and
drama for several years.
After living in the San Joaquin Valley for more than 70 years,
Antoine felt inspired to demonstrate her fondness for the area and
her strong belief in education with a gift to support UC Merced students.
“As a graduate of Cal and a former Los Banos teacher, I have had
a lifelong passion for education,” Antoine said.
The fund will provide low-income students with the opportunity
to achieve their education goals through scholarships awarded
annually to two undergraduate students in the School of Social
Sciences, Humanities and Arts.
“Need-based scholarships are vitally important to continue to
attract high-achieving students who might not otherwise be able to
afford to attend UC Merced,” said John Garamendi Jr., vice
chancellor for university relations. “Beverlee’s extremely generous
gift will empower the university to further support our students.”
